John Elisha Grimshaw

Keeping signals working, he braved fire upon a deadly beach.

John Elisha Grimshaw was born at Abram, near Wigan, on 23 January 1893. His father John was a carpenter; his mother was Lucy Alice, née Allan. After St John's School he worked as a colliery carpenter. He enlisted in the Lancashire Fusiliers in August 1912 and served in India before returning to Britain in December 1914.

On 25 April 1915, as a lance corporal and signaller with the 1st Battalion, he landed at W Beach on the Gallipoli peninsula. The battalion encountered wire obstacles and devastating fire during the assault. Grimshaw worked in the open to maintain communications through the landing and the establishment of a foothold. His courage formed part of the collective action remembered as the six Victoria Crosses awarded to the battalion for the landing. He initially received the Distinguished Conduct Medal; that award was cancelled when his Victoria Cross was gazetted in 1917.

Invalided home with frostbite later in 1915, he recovered and continued serving. He married Margaret Stout at Hull in August 1916. Commissioned in June 1917, he subsequently served on the Western Front and with the Indian Army in India and Arabia. He returned to the Lancashire Fusiliers in 1919, left the army and briefly rejoined during the Irish troubles.

His later career was in recruiting. He held the local rank of lieutenant colonel from 1934 and became chief recruiting officer for Eastern Command during the Second World War. He retired in 1953. Grimshaw died at Isleworth on 20 July 1980. He was cremated at Hanwell. His medals later entered the Ashcroft Collection and were displayed on loan at the Fusilier Museum.

Official Victoria Cross citation

On the 25th April, 1915, headquarters and three companies of the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, in effecting a landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula to the West of Cape Helles, were met by very deadly fire from hidden machine guns, which caused a great number of casualties. The survivors, however, rushed up to and cut the wire entangements, notwithstanding the terrific fire from the enemy, and after overcoming supreme difficulties, the cliffs were gained and the position maintained. Amongst the many very gallant officers and men engaged in this most hazardous undertaking, Captain Bromley, Serjeant Stubbs, and Corporal Grimshaw have been selected by their comrades as having performed the most signal acts of bravery and devotion to duty. The above awards of the Victoria Cross are to be read in conjunction with those conferred on the undermentioned for most conspicuous bravery on the same occasion:– Capt. Richard Raymond Willis, 1st Bn., Lan. Fus. No. 1293 Sjt. Alfred Richards, 1st Bn., Lan. Fus. No. 1809 Pte. William Keneally, 1st Bn., Lan. Fus. See London Gazette, dated 24th August, 1915. NOTE:- Consequent on the award of the Victoria Cross the award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal to No. 2609 Sjt. John Grimshaw, 1st Bn., Lan. Fus., which was published in the London Gazette dated 16th November, 1915, is hereby cancelled.

Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 13 March 1917. 15 March 1917, Numb. 29985, p. 2619.